


Canned Yams

by elyneri



Series: Nature Calls [8]
Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, bethyl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-12 22:45:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2127312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elyneri/pseuds/elyneri





	Canned Yams

“Ugh,” Daryl grunted, “This taste like shit.” Daryl held out a can of yams to Beth. Beth took it. She could see fingers marks from where Daryl took a taste. They hadn’t had a chance to eat anything that morning as a group of walkers were closing in on them. They were still trying to put more distance between them and the walkers and find a safe place to sleep for the night. But they could only keep moving for so long on an empty stomach. So Daryl opened up the can of yams that they could while still being on the move.

  
Beth used their only spoon to eat the yams. After the first bite, Beth face scrunched up in disgust. “Gross.” Beth took another bite. “Do you think its gone bad?” Beth turned the can in her hands looking for an expiration date.

  
“Pay more attention to where you’re walkin’ and not at the can.” Beth passed the can to Daryl so he could take another bite. She passed him the spoon too. Daryl didn’t say anything, but he used the spoon as he took a bite. Beth couldn’t suppress a smile when she saw Daryl grimace at the taste. “Doesn’t matter ‘bout the expiration date. Can’t be picky nowadays.” After another bite, Daryl handed the can and spoon back to Beth.

  
“Guess we’ll hope it won’t settle wrong with our stomachs.” Beth took another bite and shuddered at the taste.

  
They continued walking through the woods. Weaving between bushes, trying to keep to established forest paths, listening for walkers. At one point, Daryl stopped Beth. “Walkers frequent this path.”

  
“How can you tell?” asked Beth. Daryl showed Beth the signs. Kneeling down, he pointed out the zigzag tracks of walkers and the footprints. Beth listened intently. With practice and repetition, Beth was starting to recognize the differences between animal tracks and walkers. She was beginning to see the small details in the surrounding areas that Daryl saw. Beth loved this new skill she was learning. It was opening her eyes to a whole new world. She was starting to notice the little things that stuck out in their surroundings.

  
After a couple of minutes, they were on the move again, but on a different path. “Looks like the critters like to use this path.” Daryl pointed out the signs to Beth without stopping. “Might be leading us to a water source.” After some indeterminate amount of time, Daryl paused. “Ya hear that?”

Beth listened for a few seconds. “Sounds like water.”

  
Daryl smirked. “Sounds like a river.”

  
After a couple of minutes, the trees thinned out and opened up to a river. The river was calm and not very wide. Beth noticed a spot where they could cross a few yards up stream. “We’re goin’ to cross it?” asked Beth.

  
“Yea, the walkers won’t be able follow us if we cross. If we’re lucky, there will be less walkers on the other side.”  
Beth grinned. “And maybe a safe place to sleep.”

  
Daryl nodded his head. “Safer then the last couple of nights.” Daryl touched Beth’s shoulder for a second, directing her up river. “Come on.”

  
Daryl led Beth to the narrowest part of the river they could cross. Tops of boulders broke the surface of the water. They could hop from one boulder to another to the other side of the river. The river current was swift and would wash them down river if they fell in. So Daryl went first and led the way, showing Beth the easiest way to hop from boulder to another. On the more slippery boulders, Daryl would hold out his hand to Beth to help keep her from slipping. Finally, Daryl hopped to shore. He turned around and held his hand one more time to help Beth ashore. Beth took Daryl’s hand and hopped to shore.

  
“Let’s get movin’,” mumbled Daryl as he let go of her hand before leading the way into the woods.

  
They walked in silence for a while. Suddenly, Beth froze. Her arms went around her stomach as the blood drained from her face. She could feel her stomach make very ominous signs. “I think that can of yams was bad,” gasped Beth.

  
“You gotta take a shit too?” Daryl had also stopped moving and was looking at Beth. There were beads of sweat on his face and one of his arms clutching his stomach.  
Beth laughed as they both scurried away to their own private bush to empty their stomachs.


End file.
